TRANSFORMING TUESDAY: The Good Shepherd

Throughout the Bible there are so many references to sheep. We see the sheep as being in a sense lost souls who depend so much on the master. The Bible says that sheep hear their master's voice and take heed to it. Then there are instances where a stranger will come and the sheep will run away from them because they do not recognize their voice. In today's reading Jesus was the shepherd and we are his sheep. We are his sheep in the sense that we are constantly seeking after Christ. There is no direction that this world can offer us that will place us to where God wants us to be. This is similar to everyday life. We are constantly seeking out direction in our lives, constantly seeking out approval, constantly looking for someone to nurture us. What voice are you listening to? What happens when you listen to that voice? What happens when you don't listen to that voice.

Direction

As sheep we thrive on direction. We need someone leading us every step of the way. Thankfully as God as our shepherd, we will never be lost. He is our compass through life. Whenever we need navigation, he is there. He is the ultimate GPS. When God is leading you out of the wilderness are you listening to his voice or are you taking matters into your own hands? I will be the first to say that everything runs a lot smoother when God is navigating our lives. There are no such things as mishaps when God is guiding us through life, there are only valleys and mountains that we are advance through; all in preparation of renewing our strength and writing our testimonies. Let God guide and lead you --listen to his familiar voice.

Approval

As sheep we feel as though everything that we do needs to be approved by someone higher than us. This is a true testament of how society has shaped us to think and how we actually think. When you turn on the television it is so easy to become consumed with all of these creams, treatments, and procedures of how to be beautiful. The meaning of true beauty has become misconstrued with artificial beauty. Young girls are pressured into dressing up who they are on the outside and not really addressing who they are on the inside.  As sheep we stop thinking for ourselves and become who society wants us to be. The trouble comes when we seek approval from the wrong people and things. The only one whose stamp of approval we need is God's. So when you are having a hard time and struggling with approval and acceptance, remember to seek approval of the most high: W.W.J.D. - What Would Jesus Do?

Nurturing

Sheep need to be constantly nurtured. There are often rare occasions when you hear about wild sheep; well at least I've never heard of them. That is because sheep stay in herds and almost always have a shepherd guiding them. They need to be taken care of, they need to be loved, they need to be nurtured. Don't you need to be loved, taken care of, and nurtured? Of course you do! And in instances where you are not, you understand how much it alters your character. God is always nurturing us through the ways in which he protects and blesses us. When we are hungry he feed us. When we are thirsty he quenches our thirst. When we are weak he gives us strength. When we are sad he comforts us. When we are afraid he protects us. Through it all God continues to nurture us through his blessings and the favor that he bestows upon our lives and for that, I am eternally grateful.

My Shepherd is great! I do not follow the world, I do not seek the world's approval, and I am not nurtured by this world. I am a sheep of the Lord's pasture who only answers to the voice of my Shepherd--God. He directs our path through life. He has given us his seal of approval when he thought of us. He knows us by name and he knows the hairs on our head. That's how important we are to God! And no matter how many times we come short of God's glory, he nurtures us through his blessings. I also know that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. However, I also know that with Christ I will have life and I will have it more abundantly. I know which voice I will follow. Thank you Jesus! :)

It's Never Too Late To Transform Your Tuesdays :)

TRANSFORMING TUESDAY: JAMERA